VP administration candidates Anvi Kumar, Jake Sawatzky, Chayan Lu, and Ian Caguiat shared similar ideas on Nest accessibility and engagement, but some fell short on policy knowledge at the Great Debate on Friday.
Anuoluwapo Awotunde, another candidate for VP admin, did not attend Friday’s debate. In a statement sent to The Ubyssey, Awotunde said that she had an “impromptu assessment” to be completed during the debate.
Candidates generally agreed on opening Nest access during snow storms and exam season, with some differences in their approach. Caguiat emphasized the importance of student consultations in determining when the Nest access is needed most, but also noted the expenses of keeping the building open.
Sawatzky mentioned the safety of commuter students who get stranded on campus during snow storms.
“It doesn't even matter … what the cost of [having the Nest open] is … we need to prioritize the safety of students to make sure that everyone is staying warm at night,” Sawatzky said.
To better utilize the Interactive Sustainability Centre, Sawatzky suggested holding fundraisers that promote sustainability initiatives, such as the David Suzuki Foundation.
Lu said there is a “boundary between [AMS Sustainability and UBC Sustainability],” which can be confusing for students.
Caguiat said the AMS does frequently collaborate with UBC Sustainability, and emphasized the Zero Waste Fair during Climate Emergency Week, which was a collaboration between the two organizations.
In response to a question regarding instances of clubs conflicting with AMS equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies, Caguiat said he would form Equity and Inclusion guidelines that clubs can use when organizing their own events. These guidelines seem to already exist in the AMS Equity Action Plan.
Lu said all opinions should be considered, and that policy “shouldn’t just be decided by some specific people.”
Sawatzky said it is “good to have a variety of viewpoints of speakers,” but emphasized that the decision of an EDI committee should come at the forefront. It is unclear what he was referring to as this is not an existing AMS committee.
Kumar proposed “diversifying the training programs” for AMS executives, and that clubs should first consult with equity and diversity leads.
Candidates generally agreed that the Commons Lounge should be transformed into a commuter hub. Sawatzky proposed adding amenities, such as a soda fountain, to encourage student interest.
Caguiat said he wanted to revitalize the space into an upper-year collegia and organize events and programs specifically for commuter students.
“Preserving the Commons Lounge into a commuter space is incredibly important considering most of the people who hang out at the Nest are [there] because they don’t have any other spaces in between classes,” Kumar added.
In regards to Indigenous consultation in the AMS Sustainability Action Plan (ASAP), Lu suggested liaising with different groups “responsible for sustainability” and formulating a plan.
Caguiat said he plans to continue his work from being the AMS associate VP university and academic affairs in creating ethical engagement principles and include similar principles in ASAP.
Kumar said it is important to allocate AMS resources into ethical consultations. Meanwhile, Sawatzky said it is important to ensure Indigenous consultants are “compensated for their time and knowledge.”
Voting opens on March 6 and closes on March 10.
Follow us at @UbysseyNews on Twitter and follow our election coverage starting February 27. This article is part of our 2023 AMS Elections coverage.
This article was updated at 6:29 p.m. on Saturday, March 4. A previous version said Caguiat would continue his work from the Arts Undergraduate Society. The Ubyssey regrets this error.
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